by Wendi Zwaduk
“Whatever you want, babe.” He threaded his fingers into her hair, gathering the strands into a ponytail. “Take me in.”
She opened her mouth wide and sucked him to the back of her throat in one gulp. She kept her gaze on his then surrendered to his tempo. He grasped her hair, tugging then releasing her in time with his thrusts.
“Yeah.”
She loved hearing him talk in one-word sentences. Liked knowing she pleased him as much as he pleased her. Loved the pull of the clips on her nipples. She withdrew enough to release his cock with a pop then tipped her head to suck on his balls. The tiny hairs on his sac tickled her nose.
“Shit.” Graig spread his feet a little more, giving her better access to his balls. “That feels fucking awesome.” He leaned over, watching her. His grip on her hair remained tight. “Show me what else you can do.”
She stroked his inner thighs with her fingertips then eased one hand between his ass cheeks. With the pad of her index finger, she massaged the soft patch of skin behind his sac. Graig moaned and rocked on his feet. Spurred on by his reaction, she scraped her teeth over his balls then resumed sucking his cock. She closed her eyes and lost herself in the sensations of him controlling her, him holding her tight, and the orgasm building in her lower belly.
She slipped her free hand between her legs and stroked her clit. The connections in her brain snapped and she pumped harder on his dick.
“Jesus,” he panted. His thrusts turned frantic then off-kilter. More moans filled the air and his leg bobbed. “Fuck.”
Graig pulled out of her mouth, leaving her bereft. “On the bed.” He let go of her hair. When she scrambled onto the mattress, he swatted her ass. “I need to fuck you.”
Tessa braced herself on her hands and knees then waved her butt at him. “Take me.” Gravity pulled the clips toward the mattress in a delicious tug.
“I plan to.” Graig entered her in one thrust, until his balls slapped her clit. He gripped her hips hard and pistoned into her body. The headboard thumped against the wall and the blankets shifted beneath her. Her hair fell about her shoulders and over her eyes. She parted her lips and fought to drag enough air into her lungs. Her pussy vibrated and squeezed him tight. She shook her head and met him thrust for thrust.
“Come with me. Damn.” His nails bit into her skin. “Oh hell.”
Tessa closed her eyes and stopped fighting the orgasm. She wobbled and sagged in his arms. When she opened her eyes again, the room blurred and spun.
“Holy shit.” Graig pulled out of her then collapsed on the bed beside her.
She gave in to the boneless feeling and snuggled on her blankets. Graig tugged her to his side and removed the clips.
“That was off the charts.” He stroked her arm. “Crazy good.”
When she glanced down at his wilting erection, she realized what they’d done. No condom. She was on birth control, but still. They’d acted recklessly.
“I didn’t use a rubber,” he confessed. He tipped her chin and looked her in the eyes. “I’m clean.” His brow knotted. “I mean, I got tested after Lila…” Another frown. “You should be safe, even if I can’t spit out what I want to say.” Graig inched down the bed enough to align their bodies and snuggle her to his chest. “I don’t regret what we did. I like the way you make me forget everything but you.”
“Me too.” She wiped a bead of sweat from his temple. “But I’m on the Pill.”
“Still don’t regret a thing.”
Tessa pressed her face into the crook of his neck. She didn’t regret a moment of the weekend either. Not a bit.
Chapter Seven
Graig folded his arms and watched the relay team sprint across the football field. Teacher in-service days weren’t his favorites, but after a month of making love to Tessa at night and seeing her during the day between classes, he didn’t mind the morale-building exercises. Hell, he got to see her run and laugh with her peers. Tessa claimed she disliked being in the leadership role, but she was blossoming before his eyes. The dowdy clothes were replaced by jogging pants and a sweatshirt fit to her body. With her hair back in a ponytail and a blush on her cheeks from the chilly weather, she made supermodels look plain.
Maybe later he’d peel the clothes from her body and kiss her senseless. Yeah, he’d do just that.
Adam Pallas strolled up to where Graig stood and matched Graig’s stance. A couple inches shorter than Graig and stockier, Adam dipped his head. “Rumor has it you and Tessa are a thing.”
Graig glanced over at Tessa. She’d finished her sprint across the field with the swimming-pool noodle. She smiled then smothered the grin behind her hand.
“Are you listening to me?” Adam blocked Graig’s view. His brows knotted and lines formed across his forehead. His brown eyes blazed. “Tessa doesn’t give in easily, but I could see her falling for a guy like you.”
“A guy like me? Is that an insult?” Graig snorted. “We went out on a couple of dates.” And spent the last thirty-six nights together. “I didn’t twist her arm and yes, I’d like to see her again.”
Adam dipped his head and a lock of his blond hair fell forward. “That’s what I thought.”
What the hell should he say? I’m sorry she chose me over you? You never had a chance? She’s not interested? “Hey, man. Things worked out for her and me right now. Doesn’t mean they will forever.” But he sure hoped they would. “But I’m sure a girl who will turn your world upside down is right on your horizon.”
“You almost sound like you care.” Adam nodded then stuck his hands in his sweatpants pockets. “Cool. I hope she is.” He walked away, leaving Graig alone with his thoughts.
“Team Case,” Dennis shouted. “Versus Team Harding. Up to the line.”
Graig jogged to the starting line then strode to the back of his gaggle of teachers. “We got this in the bag. Just hold on to the noodle.”
“Easier said than done,” Melissa Murphy, an English teacher, replied. She tightened the elastic in her pale hair then twisted her arms and stretched. “Bring it.”
Ah, the joys of enthusiasm. Graig scanned the bleachers for Tessa. She sat chatting with Adam and Dalton Needs, one of the science teachers. A pang of jealousy hit him hard. She didn’t want more than friendship with Adam and hell if Graig knew how she felt about Dalton, but seeing her happy still gripped his heart in a stranglehold. They agreed to only play their sexy games with each other and he said he wouldn’t date anyone else, but they’d never actually discussed being exclusive. Did she want to be?
He cracked his knuckles and focused on the relay. Time to focus on the team-building games. He’d sort out his love life later.
Tessa smoothed the paper across her lap. Adam talked too fast for her to keep up with writing down what he was saying and Dalton kept scooting closer to her. She liked the both of them as friends, but neither man understood personal space. She put both hands in the air.
“Hold up.” She picked up her clipboard. “Okay. Our team is done with the relays. Let’s go inside so I can write down the suggestions.” She wanted to watch Graig sprint. The man personified poetry in motion, so smooth and carefree. No, the point of the relays and team exercises were to build morale amongst the teachers.
“Nothing to gripe about.” Dalton stretched his legs out on the bleacher seat in front of him. “These exercises are dumb. Let’s work on curriculum or integrating arts and music into the curriculum more. That would benefit the kids more than whether we can carry a stupid noodle and run at full speed.”
“You’ve got a point.” She jotted down his suggestion. “Adam?”
“Dalton’s right.” He nodded. “We’re done.”
“Cool.” Dalton stood then strolled down the bleacher stairs.
“Guess he’s out of here.” Adam stood then stopped. “Hey, Tessa? If Graig ends up being a schmuck, don’t be afraid to tell me. I’ll defend your honor.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.” She followed Adam down the bleachers. “I’m gla
d you care.” She glanced over her shoulder. Graig hugged his teammate, Melissa. The blonde-haired beauty jumped up and down next to Graig, smashing their bodies together. Tessa’s heart sank. Melissa embodied everything she wished she could be—thinner, perky and at ease with men. She fluttered her hand in the air and focused on walking back into the high school. Worrying about Graig wouldn’t get her anywhere.
She sat down at the designated Martin team table in the cafeteria and finished penning the group’s list of suggestions for team building. When she looked up from her paper, the rest of the teachers had filed into the cafeteria. Graig grinned and wove through the crowd. He sat down opposite her.
“That was interesting.” He spread his hands out on the tabletop. “I’m still not sure how carrying a noodle builds our morale.”
“We have to work together to get the job accomplished with the fewest mistakes and in the shortest period of time,” she replied. “We did it last year too.”
Graig rounded the table and plopped down beside her. “Adam cornered me. He’s really fond of you.”
“And he hates you.”
“Yes, he does.” Graig dropped his voice to a whisper. “I thought maybe we’d talk tonight.”
A couple of the teachers strolled past the table and nodded to Tessa. She smiled in return then focused on Graig. “About what? You changed your mind on that transfer?”
“Lunch is on our own. Want to grab sandwiches with me? I want out of here. And no, not my job. This is where I belong.” He leaned closer. “I want to be exclusive. You and me. No one else.”
“For sandwiches? Or more?” Tessa hopped up from her seat and detoured through the building to drop the papers off on her desk. Lunch sounded great, but he had blitzed her with the talk of going exclusive. When she turned on her heel, Graig pinned her to the wall behind her desk.
“I’ve wanted to do this all day.” He smoothed his fingertips over her cheek then snagged her in his arms. “I want you in my arms and in my bed. Want to feel your ass under my hand and your kiss in the morning.” Passion flickered in his eyes as he met her mouth for a kiss.
She bit back a whimper and balled her fists on his chest. They shouldn’t have been kissing in the building, not when anyone could walk in on them. They sure as hell shouldn’t be talking about sex either. But the idea they could be caught intrigued her and turned her on. She opened to him and sucked on his tongue.
His hum turned her senses inside out. He threaded one hand into her hair and kept his other hand on her cheek. He slanted his lips over hers and commanded the kiss, nipping her bottom lip.
“Want to watch you dance for me then drive me crazy with your tongue until neither one of us can stand it.” Another kiss, this time harder. His burgeoning erection nudged her lower belly. “Love the way you taste,” he murmured against her mouth. “Sex, sin and sweetness.”
“Sin has a taste?” she asked, her voice husky. “Guess I learned something new.” Another question teetered on the tip of her tongue. Go for it? Keep quiet? “What about being exclusive?” Sex was great, but if there wasn’t something more behind it, then she didn’t want to involve her heart. “Or did your mind change during your relay? Melissa is a sweet girl.”
“I never would’ve expected you to be jealous.” He rested his forehead on hers. “I’m not ready to tell everyone about us, but I’m very ready to not share you. I don’t want anyone else. You’re the one for me. No second best, no jumping ship when things get heavy. I’m yours, babe.”
She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Her desire ratcheted up another notch. When could they be alone without another member of the faculty walking in on them? “I don’t suppose you’re willing to prove your point to me tonight?” She smoothed her hands up his chest, caressing the raw muscle. “Say, at my place? Supper and a thrilling hour of lesson-planning then a sex-a-thon for the rest of the night.”
“I’m very willing.” He nuzzled her neck. “I’m addicted to you, Tessa Martin. I don’t want anyone else.”
“We’d better get those sandwiches.” She cleared her throat. “Or we’ll end up having sex in my classroom and that will get us both fired.”
Graig backed away from her enough to grab her hand. “I live on the edge, but not that far. Good thing you’re thinking for the both of us.” He kissed her knuckles. “Tonight I’m all yours.”
She bit back a giggle and followed him out to the parking lot. Life would never be boring with Graig. Had she fallen in love with him? Maybe, just maybe, she had.
Chapter Eight
Graig stared at the photo on his desk. Getting caught up in a woman wasn’t his style—or so he thought. Loose and free. No strings. Except Tessa made him feel more for her than a best friend or a sometimes lover. She filled the holes in his soul. Her smile warmed his days and her kiss sizzled his nights. She understood him and didn’t try to change him.
He touched the photo of her grinning beside him in the park. When he met her, he knew he’d never forget her. Was it love? Maybe not yet, but damn close. No word from Lila in a while. Thank God. Hopefully she finally got the hint and found someone new.
Footsteps thumped on the tile floor. When he looked up from the picture, Dennis stood in the doorway. “Mr. Case.”
“Dennis. You look tired. Not getting enough sleep?” Graig chuckled to himself. “I want to thank you. You pushed me and Tessa to get together and it’s been the best decision. Things couldn’t be better.” Hell, his life couldn’t be better. “I’m in love.” He hadn’t meant to let that little gem slip, but whatever. Life was good and yeah, he loved her.
“Uh-huh.” Dennis closed the door then sat on the chair in front of Graig’s desk. “Some paperwork happened across my desk today. Strange paperwork.”
“It’s a school. Strange things happen all the time that don’t concern me.” Graig folded his arms. “So?”
“I’ll use the direct approach. Have you bothered to tell Tessa about your transfer?” Dennis tossed a handful of pages onto Graig’s desk.
“What transfer?” Graig switched the papers around and scanned the words. His personal information splashed across the cover sheet. According to the paperwork, he’d written to the neighboring school district inquiring on a job at McKinley Middle School. “This isn’t mine.”
“Your grant application for the baseball team’s new batting cage went to the board and has been approved. They are considering offering you a two-year contract. They like you and what you’re doing with the history curriculum and the baseball team. You’re an asset to us here. But the board didn’t see your transfer request as an asset. They were pretty upset. You say it’s not yours and I want to believe you. But I didn’t even know you wanted to go until the McKinley board asked for a reference.”
Graig shoved the pages back to the vice principal. “Dennis, I didn’t fill the application out. I thought about it and never finished the document. I left it on my hard drive, yeah. But nothing else. I don’t want to go. I’d like to spend my career here.”
“Well, then explain that to Tessa. Cora was busy at the front desk and she had Tessa nab the fax when it came through. She saw the paperwork first and hasn’t talked to anyone since. I couldn’t find her for the arts meeting.”
Tessa saw it first? Shit. Graig jumped up from his seat and bounded past Dennis. She’d intercepted the transfer paperwork. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Shadows hung heavy in the window to her classroom. When he twisted the doorknob, nothing happened. Locked. Tessa didn’t miss meetings. Damn it, the situation was so fucked-up. Bad.
“Look,” Dennis said from behind him, “pull your paperwork from McKinley if that’s what you want. Between your kids’ test scores and the lesson plans, you’re proving your worth to us here. I’ll vouch for you before our board, but as far as Tessa goes, you’ve screwed yourself royally.”
Screwed himself didn’t begin to describe what he’d done. “She’s hurting. I promised her she’d never be second best. Promised her we weren’t a quickie.” H
e bounded back to his classroom and yanked his suit coat from his chair. “I need to go.” He shoved papers into his shoulder bag. “Get the lights.”
Graig didn’t wait for Dennis’ reply. He sprinted to his car. Her Jeep didn’t wait in its normal spot. Dammit. He slapped his steering wheel. First he needed to look at his computer. Then he’d find her. He knew damn well he hadn’t sent the transfer paperwork.
“Let me explain, Tess,” he murmured to himself. “Just give me time to explain.”
Tessa sat on the couch, hugging her legs. The events of the afternoon imprinted themselves on her brain. Fifty-eight copies. She’d gone into the workroom to make copies of her midterm exams. Another three weeks until the start of the baseball conditioning season. Her man in tight T-shirts and sloppy shorts, sweating and practicing his pitching skills. She’d suppressed a shiver. He’d been good to her the night before, taking care of her needs and making her scream his name three times. She chuckled. “One, done and let them come” had been the theme for her other sexual escapades. Not with Graig. She smothered her laugh behind her hand. Cora, the main secretary, had asked her to grab the incoming fax.
She’d waited for the pages to print then scooped them into a neat pile. The words on the cover sheet had caught her eye. Referral. Transfer. Graig.
Her heart nearly stopped and she couldn’t breathe. Referral for what? Last thing she knew, he said he’d pulled his paperwork. He asked for exclusivity and claimed she was the one. Being at a different school district didn’t mean they’d break up, but…if he was leaving, then he’d broken his promise and lied to her. She refused to suffer liars and deception lightly. She gave Dennis the paperwork, but hadn’t lingered to get the story from him. She’d sucked up her pride and forced herself through the rest of the day. She and Graig decided not to see other people, but no one said a word about anything long-term. If he changed his mind about wanting to go, then she’d have to deal.